Carole J. Greene, President
January. Already. My mother was right: the older you get, the faster time moves.
Your Press Club of Southwest Florida board did not meet in December, so instead of reporting on activities that did not happen, I will use this spot in Scoop to look forward to 2016.
As impossible as it may seem, this is our 20th anniversary year! The club started when our founder — and Rhona Saunders’ husband, Terry Miller — discovered quite a few professional journalists of some renown, working or retired, living in Naples. He invited them for a breakfast or lunch — maybe both — and the club was born. Several founding members, counted as those who joined before the end of 1996, have retained their memberships all these years. Five of them are quite familiar to you: Governor-for-Life Rhona Saunders, Membership Chair Karla Wheeler, Luncheon Check-in Maven Fritzi Thorner, Sound System Wrangler Joel Banow, and me. A few others send in their dues annually but rarely make it to meetings. We wish they would, and perhaps this anniversary year they will.
Proud of the club’s growth in numbers and significance, we intend to celebrate with several special events during 2016. The first of these will be an “Insiders Breakfast” on Feb. 23, open ONLY to members. We will welcome a renowned journalist to regale us with some stories about his impressive career. There. That should be enough of a tease to get you to look for upcoming announcements. Be sure to reserve immediately after receiving the information as we can seat only the first 22 who sign up.
In mid-summer, we’ll have another special event. It’s too early in the planning stage to tell you more. Watch for information in a few months. At the end of the year, look for another anniversary affair. Yes, too early for details.
Dues notices will go out soon. We hope all members will be as eager to renew as we are to appreciate your continuation in the club. Here’s to the NEXT 20 years!
Reminder: This is YOUR newsletter. Submit an article—anything that’s on your mind! Or tell us about a recent honor you received or book you published. For the February issue, deadline to Editor Penny Fisher is Jan. 27.
I say this nearly every month, but I really mean it: If you have an issue or an idea you’d like your board to consider, please let me know. We get some of our best ideas from members — that means YOU.
From your NPC board, may you enjoy a year full of fun, good health, prosperity and fascinating people with whom to share these blessings.